Barb's Seminar

I was fascinated by the seminar I attended on with Barb Retenbach. I really had no idea what I was walking into before I went, and came out educated on the topic in a new way. I had no idea that people with Autism were so capable of communicating with the world we live in. I love the technology that we are able to use today that allows us to do that. Because of Barb's tablet that allows her to type out words and phrases, she is now able to reveal that she is just as capable and smart as anyone that was in that room listening. Barb was very together and understood every piece of information that someone stated, even when we thought she wasn't paying attention. I believe the main lesson I learned from this was to never underestimate your students. Barb is a woman who can barely communicate verbally, yet has accomplished more in her life than many people her age. I believe it's easy to say that she certainly works harder than most of the other novelists in the world, because of the circumstances she is in. This just proves that when we give our students motivation, encouragement, and tools to reach their goals, they can live up to any hope we have for them. I certainly admired Barb's helper, Lois, because of the passion, patience, and care she shows for Barb. I believe we can all learn something from this, even if we don't have children with Austism in our classrooms.